Tracking your workouts

Hopefully you are walking into the Box each day with the goal of being better than yesterday. That yesterday could be three weeks ago when you last did front squats. When front squats pop up again in a WOD, are you just going to guess what weight to start out with (and shoot for working up to), or do you keep some sort of record you can refer to? The same goes for Met-Cons. You should be able to look up your Fran time, or how many rope climbs you did, or what your latest 1 mile time was.

Tracking your performance is important if you want to improve your level of fitness and become stronger, faster, or just better overall. You should be striving to lift more, complete more rounds or reps, run faster, and jump higher. Keeping a workout log will keep you moving forward towards those goals.

There are many ways you can track your progress. CFF has a free online database, http://cffmember.elasticbeanstalk.com, where members can enter their weight lifted or rounds/reps completed for each WOD they complete. The database automatically displays your scores for previous times you completed that workout so you can compare them. Other members’ scores are also visible so you can compare.

You can also keep a written log, such as the CFF WOD logbook available for purchase at the Box. In it you can track each day, write down your personal record lifts for various movements, and chart your performance on benchmark WODs. It also shows the standards and explanations for common movements you will do in the WODs.

Other tracking methods include online programs and Apps. Below are just a few of the dozens available.

WOD—simple but straightforward App that tracks each WOD by a calendar and you can also easily refer to your weight lifted for any movement you input

myWOD—similar to WOD, but looks a little fancier. You can graph your progress, input custom WODs and even post your scores to social media.

Beyondthewhiteboard.com—one of the most popular online WOD tracking programs. Many features including the ability to compare your scores to other athletes all over the world. It also has a section to log your meals.

WODzilla—has many of the features of other Apps, plus has a handy 1RM calculator and allows you to keep track of your goals

Whatever method you choose, your log needs to have the movement, weight, rounds/reps, etc. Everything so you know where to start next time. In my log, I also make notes. Maybe I was nursing a sore shoulder that day, or the cold air effected my run time, or a coach had to remind me to keep my chest up in my back squats. Those details go in there too.

So keep some kind of record of your performance. Don’t let the only trace of what you did be wiped away when the whiteboard is cleaned at the end of the day.